


Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums

by epic_cephalopod



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: AU, Alien Morality, Cardassians, M/M, Major character death - Freeform, Murder, PoW, Prisoner of War, What if the war ended differently?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-05
Updated: 2019-02-05
Packaged: 2019-10-19 00:34:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17591402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/epic_cephalopod/pseuds/epic_cephalopod
Summary: “Oh Julian. Surely you knew it would always end like this?”





	Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums

_Don't fret precious, I'm here_  
_Step away from the window, go back to sleep_  
_Safe from pain and truth and choice and other poison devils  
See, they don't give a fuck about you like I do_

_\----_

Julian had been in the Cardassian prison for three weeks, and he was pretty sure he was still in shock. They had all thought helping the Cardassians overthrow the Dominion would lead to peace - a shaky peace, but some semblance of peace.

They’d been so, so wrong.

The Dominion had been defeated, forced back to the Gamma Quadrant. As they fell back, the Breen and Cardassian forces had joined. The wormhole was destroyed. Technically, the Alpha Quadrant was safe - at least from the Founders, and the Gamma Quadrant.

Bajor was back in the shadow of the Cardassian Union; Deep Space Nine had been retaken and once again dubbed Terok Nor; the Federation was on the run and licking its wounds.

Everyone was dead.

Sisko, into the fire with Dukat; Dax, Miles, Worf, - all of them gone in the battle for the space station. Except Kira, killed by Cardassians during the final Battle for Cardassia.

As far as Julian knew, he was the only one left. Just him...and Garak.

Julian didn’t know what to think about Garak right now. He knew Garak was alive - he’d heard his name amid the clipped Kardassi of his captors, and from what little he’d gathered his lover was fine.

He’d initially been held in a filthy, dank cell, with barely enough room to curl up on the floor and rock. After what felt like ages Julian had been transferred to a much nicer cell, with a wash basin, toilet, bed, and a replicator which gave him the option of about 3 different simple Cardassian meals. A chain ran from his left wrist to the wall, giving him enough slack to walk around but not reach the door.

They’d taken one of his molars, and his jaw throbbed.

There were no windows or lights, save for a skylight 15 feet up, glass shaped like the Cardassian Union symbol, reflected on the ground as a traveling patch of light.  

Julian has been using the light as a basic sundial to keep track of time. Three rotations passed in the new cell when Garak was brought to see him.

‘He looks good’ Julian thought bitterly ‘Happier than I’ve ever seen him’. And happy he must be, the exile returned home, the spy who outlived his enemies, the tailor turned traitor turned double traitor. Julian wished he could be angry. He wasn’t stupid; Garak being alive and in good condition was a clear indication of what happened - it had either been a long, long game, or he had seen an opportunity and took it.

He was in Cardassian clothes like Julian had never seen his lover wear before, cut similar to what he had worn on the space station, but clearly designed with the heat of Cardassia’s surface in mind. He knew his lover had been cold, not modest but it was odd seeing so much exposed scale on the older man. In his awe, he almost missed the Obsidian Order communicator pinned at his left shoulder. He stood framed within the doorway, looking down at the doctor. Julian struggled to stand, to meet him on equal footing.

“So Garak. Come to gloat at the naive Federaji doctor?” Julian spat at him. Garak stood silent, unblinking as Julian worked himself into a lather, tearing into his lover so fast the words were thunderous waterfall that crashed over Garak, who was still as a stone through the entire release.

When Julian was done, he was swaying on his feet, and sat abruptly down on the bed. He hung his head in his hands, elbows on his thighs as he struggled to catch his breath, struggled not to cry.

He didn’t hear Garak cross the room, didn’t hear his footsteps, didn’t notice until the hesitant touch on his shoulder.  He looked up, fury in his eyes as he launched himself at Garak. The Cardassian expected the attack, grabbing Julian in a bear hug as the human struggled against him, cursing and biting before finally going limp, resting his head on the Cardassian’s shoulder, arms around his waist.

“How did it all go so wrong Elim?” Julian whispered. “How did it all go so wrong?”

Garak pulled back a little, cupping Julian’s face in one hand and staring at him, as if memorizing his face, staring at himself in those amber eyes.

“Oh Julian. Surely you knew it would always end like this?” Garak whispered softly, but in the quiet room, it cracked like thunder. The hand cupping Julian’s cheek slid down, two fingers resting under Julian’s chin, tilting his head up to the older Cardassian’s view. Julian met his gaze, unwavering.

“I love you, Elim. I thought you cared for me too.” unspoken volumes lay between those words. Garak embraced him again.

“I love you too, dear Julian, as much as, if not more, than I have loved any single person. However, eros falls far short of the love of the Union burned into the Cardassian soul.” Garak sighed “I regret the pain you’ve gone through my dear, but the Union must come first. We will try you in court and you will be confirmed guilty; if you refuse, you will be tortured. And then...”

Julian stared at him bleakly, but he did not weep.

“I’m sorry things ended this way Julian. Truly, I am. I will always cherish our time together.” Garak searched the younger man’s face as Julian took a deep breath, leaning down a little to rest their foreheads together in anshwar.

They stood this way for a long time, breathing together and taking comfort in the familiar gesture.

Eventually, eyes still closed, Julian said quietly “I don’t suppose there’s anything you can do?”

Garak opened his eyes briefly, seeing Julian’s face scrunched up, his shoulders tense. “Perhaps there is.” he murmured.

Garak slid his hands up the doctor’s back, soothing some of the tension away as he brought their lips together. Garak expected the kiss to be desperate, demanding, but it was far more sweet than one would have expected. Julian’s arms tightened around Garak’s waist as he teased the Cardassian’s lips apart, moaning as their tongues met.

Garak continued stroking the doctor’s back and shoulders as Julian melted against him. The kiss was slow and languid, and Garak felt surprisingly aroused. Julian’s alien biology displayed his own arousal, his hard cock pressing against Garak’s hip even as the human’s body relaxed under his touch.

The kiss grew more desperate as Garak slid one hand in Julian’s hair, the other cupping his cheek and chin. Julian was ever so slightly rutting against Garak’s hip, and the Cardassian pressed himself forward against the trapped erection. When their lips parted as the doctor gasped at the sudden friction, Garak moved lightening fast. He twisted the other man’s head up and back on a sharp angle, snapping his neck with ease.

Garak laid Julian’s body on the narrow cot, arranging him carefully, straightening his uniform and kissing his curls gently before turning away. He knocked on the door sharply and it slid open.

“The prisoner is dead. Take care of it.” Garak snapped at the guard, who was visibly startled but jumped quickly to his task as Garak made a show of reviewing the files and making his own notes.

Outside the cell, the prison was a buzzing, living entity and passing employees greeted Garak, who absently replied as he completed signing off and leaving his thumbprint on the updated file.

As Garak finally took his leave, his hand curled around a small object in his pocket. With the CBI in shambles, it was unlikely they would notice the tooth missing  and if they did, no one would dare question the de facto head of the Order about such things.

It seemed he had become rather sentimental.

_\----_

_I'll be the one to protect you from your enemies and all your demons_  
_I'll be the one to protect you from a will to survive and a voice of reason_  
_I'll be the one to protect you from your enemies and your choices, son_  
_They're one in the same_  
_I must isolate you  
Isolate and save you from yourself_

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I never wanted to write a fic where the boys did anything like this. I want happy endings and fluff and rainbows and sunshine and BDSM and I can't believe I did this. (Side note, I don't know why THIS is the fic I feel bad about when I've written some pretty disgusting things for the kink challenge.)
> 
> I debated on making this a Kinktobember fic - its not really *sexy*, but, well, snuff IS a kink. I originally intended this fic to be way, way sexier/more rapey but the story went where it did. Perhaps I'll explore a sexier snuff fic in the last few 5 Kinktobember fics - I'm planning on going a little darker for a couple, before ending on a light note. 
> 
> For those interested, I know we've seen some Cardassian prisons before, but I imagine post war, they're not quite as nice anymore. The image I had been working with was something along the lines of what they called the "Pennsylvania System" designed and implemented at Eastern State Penitentiary. If you're ever in Philadelphia, please do go, its a fascinating trip!
> 
> The cells really were set up to be rather small, with a single source of light coming from a window or skylight, referred to as the "eye of god". The idea was that one was kept in mostly solitary confinement (the warden was required to check in with each prisoner once a day, and guards 3x) with time to reflect on their 'evil deeds', which would help turn them into a good, penitent person (Hence, 'penitentiary')
> 
> \----
> 
> The song quoted, and which I used as a title, is by A Perfect Circle. I found a playlist on spotify titled "Elim Garak" and that was the first song on it, and I'd never heard it before and immediately loved it, both in general and for our Cardassian friend. 
> 
>  
> 
> [Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPgOnIDjuTc)


End file.
